Author: artemedina

Cities and towns spanning the entire island of Puerto Rico were shred to pieces by Hurricane Maria just weeks after the embattlement of Hurricane Irma. The road back to normalcy will no doubt be long, costly and complex. El Meson Sandwiches reiterates its commitment to be an active part in Puerto Rico’s recovery for the long run.

As a first step, and to help alleviate the suffering of those impacted, El Meson will utilize dozens of its stores throughout the island, specially the ones on the west coast, as distribution centers for emergency supplies. More than 200,000 pounds of items like bottled water, canned food, baby formula and diapers, and medicines, will go straight to the hands of thousands in need. The supplies, which filled four maritime containers, were donated by Central Florida residents in various community drives, including one last weekend at El Meson Sandwiches’ Florida Mall location. El Meson will cover the transportation costs of the goods, expected to reach Puerto Rico by the end of the month.

“The people suffering Maria’s devastation are our employees, our customers and our family,” said Felipe Hamilcar Perez, who leads the Florida operations for the restaurant chain. “It doesn’t get any more personal than that. It is our responsibility to be an active part of the efforts to bring hope to them and to participate in any way we can in the rebuilding of the island.”

To broaden the reach of this initiative, El Meson Sandwiches joined efforts with iHeart Radio’s Activados por Puerto Rico, and with CASA of Central Florida, two community groups that are coordinating assistance, while also conducting emergency supply drives and fund raisers.

“We’re in it for the long haul,” said Tomas Javier Rivera, co-founder of Activados. “We understand that Puerto Rico faces a long and painful recovery. We’re determined to stay involved and assist with the different stages of the recovery for as long as needed with the help of corporate partners like El Meson.”

El Meson Sandwiches has three restaurants in Central Florida located at the Florida Mall dining pavilion in Orlando, Osceola Parkway in Kissimmee, and the Premium Outlets at Vineland also in Orlando. Two standalone stores with drive-thrus are scheduled to open early next year in Lee Vista Promenade, near the Orlando International Airport, and in the Gardens of Millennia, near The Mall at Millennia. With the completion of these two new stores, El Meson Sandwiches will have five restaurants in Central Florida by 2018.

Orlando

More than 200,000 pounds of items like bottled water, canned food, baby formula and diapers, and medicines, will go straight to the hands of thousands in need.

Puerto Rico

Containers that departed from Orlando filled with items to help Puerto Rico were received by El Meson Sandwiches in Mayagüez.

Donations reaches the communities of PUERTO RICO, thanks to volunteers and employees of El Meson Sandwiches.

Distributing supplies for the victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico was a family affair. Thanks to our President Felipe and his wife Iraida along with the rest of the Meson team for helping us pass out donations, and to Felipe Perez III for the great idea.

El Meson continues expansion plan in Florida

The president of El Mesón Sandwiches, Felipe Pérez, informed that he met up with Florida Governor Rick Scott, who supported the Puerto Rican restaurant chain’s expansion in the Sunshine State.

The meeting, requested by Scott himself, was effected in the restaurant with a drive-thru located in Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee. Government officials and the managerial team of El Mesón Sandwiches in Orlando convened for one hour and a half.

“Governor Scott praised and thanked our determination to select Florida as the first destination of our company’s expansion plan. He got to see our operations first-hand, and expressed his full support to El Mesón Sandwiches,” said Pérez in written declarations.

“I was surprised by how much Scott knows about our island and the fiscal and economic crises we are facing as a people,” added Pérez.

During his visit to the restaurant, Scott took the opportunity to enjoy a Whitehouse sandwich with sautéed mushrooms and iced tea.

El Mesón Sándwiches currently has three restaurants in central Florida. In June 2015, the company opened its first joint in Florida Mall’s Dining Pavilion. In June 2016 it opened its second restaurant with a drive-thru in Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee; and its third inaugurated September 2016 in Premium Outlets Vineland’s food court, in Orlando.

In 18 months, the chain will open two new restaurants with drive-thru windows: one of these will be located in Lee Vista Promenade, and another in The Gardens of Millenia, next to The Mall at Millenia. With these new installations, the Puerto Rican-owned company will have five U.S. establishments by 2018.

The company is opening its third Orlando area store this week with two more to come in 2017.

ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Meson Sandwiches, a fast casual restaurant that marries the flavors of the Caribbean with an American staple, will open this week its third Central Florida location at the Premium Outlets Vineland, 8200 Vineland Ave., Orlando. Two other Meson restaurants are scheduled to open next year in Lee Vista Promenade and the Gardens on Millennia, also in the Metro Orlando area, for a total of five locations by the fall of 2017.”Now our Florida customers have more locations from which to get their favorite sandwiches, breakfast all day or a steamy cup of café con leche,” said Meson President, Felipe Perez Grajales. “There’s something for everyone in our menu.”The new restaurant will open on September 15, in the Premium Outlet Vineland’s food court. This is the second Meson in a food court in Orlando. The Osceola Parkway location and the stores that will open next year, are all free-standing buildings with spacious dining rooms and convenient drive-thrus.

“In these stores our customers are able to order breakfast platters made to order with fresh, cracked eggs, cooked any way they like through a convenient drive-thru window,” Perez said. “Going to the beach? Order your favorite sandwiches without leaving your car.”

In all of its locations Meson offers all-day breakfast, 100 percent Arabica coffee and an array of signature and specialty sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Vegetarian options like salads, baked potatoes with a variety of toppings and vegetarian sandwiches are also available.

Based in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, El Meson is a family-owned company first established in 1972. It has 36 stores in the island and began its mainland expansion in the summer of 2015 with its first Orlando store at the Florida Mall. A second store opened earlier this year at the Osceola Parkway, in Kissimmee. Each Meson grosses $2 million on average and employs 40-50 people. The expansion to the Florida market means more jobs for The Sunshine State, while helping strengthen its economy through direct and indirect business activity.

“We’ve been welcomed with open arms into Central Florida,” Perez said. “The community has embraced our stores as an extension of their dining room, which we appreciate and value. Our guests are treated like family and the success we’ve had is because of them.”

Meson has received national and international accolades for its innovative menu. The recognitions include a Travel + Leisure Magazine’s designation in 2015 as one of the world’s top fast casual chains. Many of the sandwiches incorporate cabbage to add texture. Some of Meson’s loyal customers’ favorite items include the Turkey Sandwich, with 97 percent fat-free turkey and Swiss cheese, and the All-Pro, with Virginia ham, pastrami, sautéed onions and melted Swiss cheese. Veggie lovers will find The Surfer sandwich delightful, with soy-based salami, Swiss and American cheeses, pickles, peppers, onions, tomatoes and cabbage on slightly sweet criollo bread. Other crowd’s favorites are the Medianoche, Cubano and Boricua Steak sandwiches, which hail to the restaurant’s Caribbean roots.